Ashes
by Vagrant BG
Summary: [oneshot] As the sun sets over Rocket Town, Cid ponders life over a cigarette and a cup of tea. [Set after the game and before Advent Children. Rated for swearing. Revised]


Ashes

For a long time Cid Highwind considered himself one hell of an unlucky bastard. After a lifelong effort, his dream of being the first human to reach outer space was crushed by one of his own engineers. He spent the next five years working on his designs and training his staff to follow his every instruction. When news of the death of President Shinra reached Rocket Town, Cid's first thought was what the new President would do with the space program. Weeks later, Rufus Shinra, the new President of the electric company visited Rocket Town personally. Cid's hopes rose, but the new President stepped on his dream like an insect, scrapping the space program and asking for his Tiny Bronco. It was then that Cid Highwind quit the Shinra company for good. In fact, he joined up with a misfit group of eco-terrorists who labeled themselves Avalanche.

A lot happened after that. A lot of weird, crazy stupid-ass shit Cid didn't like to think about. An Ex-Soldier who was supposed to be dead trying to end the world, an alien life form with no fucking head...it was all just to damn weird. Cid had fought alongside those he came to think of as friends, comrades, and together they overcame their foe. Unfortunately, saving the world wasn't as simple as beating the bad guy. As time passed, it became clear that people were becoming sick. Children were getting sick. That really pissed Cid off.

"Fuckin' shit." He grumbled, squashing the butt of his cigarette with the heel of his boot. The sun was setting on Rocket Town and Cid was standing on his front porch, watching as the town packed up for the night. Most of the citizens had jumped at the chance to help him put together his new airship, which at the moment was a half finished husk sitting behind his house. Originally he was going to rebuild the Highwind with a few minor enhancements, but in the end Cid figured this was the perfect time to build a new, better airship. Besides, the new airship's skeleton was made from the majority of the Highwind's scrap, so it wasn't like his old ship was dead. Not really.

"Tea, Captain?" Cid turned around and saw a mane of mahogany hair spilling from the pale, bespectacled face of Shera leaning her head out the door. She'd left her hair down, which always surprised Cid. She looked so different.

"How many times do I gotta' tell ya not to call me that?" Cid grunted. The smile on Shera's face was surprisingly disarming.

"Once more. As always." Shera's head disappeared back inside the house, not waiting for an answer. She knew Cid never said no to tea, even when he was burning with anger. Tea always calmed him down. With a sigh, Cid leaned his elbows against the railing of the porch and clasped his hands together. The population of Rocket Town wasn't as big as Midgar, or Edge, the new city Reeve was building on the outskirts of Midgar. Rocket Town didn't have orphans living on the street because a meteor falling from space had killed their parents, but the children here were sick. Cid watched as parents tried to reassure their kids while they were screaming in pain. Tears fell from the parents faces, tears they tried to hide for the sake of their children.

With a heavy sigh, Cid took the pack of cigarettes from the sleeve of his shirt, removed one and sparked it up. Smoke billowed gracefully across the orange sky, the tiny ember glowed in his hand. Times were tough, and this time there was no silver haired megalomaniac to defeat, just the faces of young ones in terrible pain. "Fuck it." Cid muttered as he flicked the half finished cigarette away.

The screen door opened as Shera returned with two cups of tea, one in each hand. Cid took his silently, before turning back to the setting sun. The sky was a deep purple, giving the illusion that something dark and heavy was smothering the remaining fire in the sky. "We can't bring a child into this, Shera." Cid mumbled softly. He knew how badly she wanted a baby, Hell, he wanted one himself, but not like this. Not when he could picture the infant covered in those purple sores, screaming for help that nobody knew how to give.

Cid felt Shera's arm wrap itself around his waist. Behind the cup at her lips Cid saw her sad smile. "I know, Captain." Shera placed her tea on the porch railing and looked out into the setting sun with an expression that gave Cid the impression she was thinking the same thing as himself. "But someday." Shera sighed softly, wistfully.

Yeah, someday, Cid thought to himself. Someday.


End file.
